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feeding question

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  papar 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all,
I have 32 hive. It's been about -10 C here and i was concerned about my bees feed stores. see they did not take as much as they were suppose to this past fall.
today i got 16 done feeding. Put on an extra super (empty) and a pail of sugar water, insulation to keep warm. as well i cleaned out the bottom entrance...all alive. YEAH
The other 16 are another story. I ran out of time to complete the task so i did not start. I did however, take away the entrance reducer and use an old hay rake tooth and cleaned out the bottom board, replaced the reducer. Some of the hive had life. Those that did not, i took my rake tooth and knocked around the upper entrance. Some more had a few bees others seemed dead. Out of this batch of 16 i think three are gonners

My question,
at our temperatures, can i open the gonner hive...remove inner cover to see if there is maybe a small cluster?

i winter them in blocks of 4, with wraps and insulated tops. They are in a yard that has 5x6 round bales on three sides and good bush on the north side. So they are well sheltered from the wind.

Second question
If it is okay look in, and there is a small cluster in the botton super, can i remove the top super and make it a single?


This would take a bit of care seens how they are wrapped and i figure if i am going to do this i will do it with the wrap on so as not to chill them more than I needed.
Tommorws weather outlook
-18C am and -10c pm
farenheit
0F am and 14fpm

all advice welcome
 
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#2 ·
I would just leave everything well alone, and do the work as you unwrap the hives. The equipment is in no risk of harm. The hives that are smaller will possibly hurt them more than you would help them. If they are small this time of year , they might be gonners anyway, but you never know. Reduce them as you unwrap, and see what happens with them. With those, I usually shake them out, but every once and a while if I find a small hive that JUST might have potential, I transfer them into a nuc and let them sort things out for themselves. Sometimes they end up well.

Anyway, I am glad that cold has passed for a while, hope it doesnt come back. That last week of the -35 and wind kinda took my love for winter away.
 
#5 ·
sugar syrup

I here it's a little risky feeding sugar water this late and this cold. I've been feeding fondant incased in a plastic ziplock bag w/a cut on the underside and they seem to be able to work it and remain in the cluster. To get to the syrup they have to break cluster and it might be too cold for that. for me, I will pop the top and feed real quick as long as it isn't below 35f

my 2 cents
 
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